Earlier this month Chess Enterprises New Zealand sponsored a high profile chess event at the Auckland Grammar School Old Boys' Pavillion. Billed as the Australasian Match of the Decade, two of New Zealand and Australia's rising stars squared off in a match of six games. The local hopes rested on 19 year old IM Puchen Wang who left Auckland Grammar last year to take up a chess scholarship at the University of Texas, Dallas, studying engineering. He faced formidable opposition in the on-form 25 year old freshly qualified Australian grandmaster, David Smerdon, who had just won the Oceania Zonal to earn a place in next year's World Cup.
Though both players are known for their fluid attacking chess, each seemed to play to neutralise the other and a series of cautious closed games ensued. Smerdon prevailed with Black in the first game followed by a series of three draws. The fifth game saw an exciting Dragon Sicilian, with Smerdon's exchange sacrifice defusing Wang's attack, but the latter defended accurately to hold the draw. Today's game is the sixth and final game of the match. Wang playing Black had to win to tie the match.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.Ngf3 Be7 8.O-O a5 9.Re1 c4!?
In closing the centre in the French Defence, Black clearly forgoes all thoughts of castling kingside, as this would merely make his king a sitting duck. Instead the pawn chains dictate a slow build-up of forces by both sides on their respective wings of advantage. They must also stay constantly alert for a tactical shot that could re-open the centre and expose one or other's king, since neither will be able to find a wholly comfortable shelter. 10.Bc2 b5 11.Nf1 Nb6 12.h4 h6 13.h5 b4 14.N3h2 a4 15.Qg4 Bf8 16.a3 bxc3 17.bxc3 Na5 18.f4 ---
Despite seeming rather underdeveloped, Black is not presenting any target on the kingside, so White must use his own's king's pawn protection as battering rams to open lines. Meanwhile the Black knights infiltrate deeply into the White queenside. 18.--- Nb3 19.Ra2 Kd7
While it is no mystery that White will eventually advance f4-f5 and target the f7 square, this move doesn't seem to address that threat, improve Black's co-ordination, nor make his king safer. But White seems unable to take advantage. 20.Qf3 Ra7 21.g4 Be7
The bishop finally emerges once White released the pressure on g7. Now both sides manouvre their knights to face-off over White's weak queenside pawns. 22.Nd2 Na8 23.Nb1 Nc7 24.Be3 Nb5 25.f5 Qa5 26.Bf2 Bg5 27.Rd1 Nc1!?
A strange-looking move, in that the knight seems only able to retreat back to b3 from this square. Black has a perfectly reasonable position, but it is hard to suggest a promising plan of action. Perhaps prompted by his need to win this game, Wang's justification is tactical, not positional, and Smerdon thought for a long time before making his reply. 28.Rb2 Nxc3?
Unfortunately this temporary sacrifice turns out to be permanent. After 28 ...Nb3 little harm would have been done. 29.Nxc3 Nd3
Whether Black missed that 29...Qxc3? with the idea of 30 Qxc3 Ne2+ regaining the piece fails to 30 Bxa4+! winning the black queen when he played 28...Nxc3, we can only speculate. The complications following the text move all favour White, though require some accurate play. 30.Bxd3 Qxc3 31.Rc2 Qb3 32.fxe6+ Kxe6
That the pawn capture was with check allows White's pieces to get out of trouble - 32...fxe6 instead frees the g6 square for the bishop. White now exploits the exposed black king to activate all his forces. 33.Rc3! Qb5 34.Rb1 Qa5 35.Be1 Rb7 36.Rcc1 Bd2 37.Bxd2 Qxd2 38.Bf5+ Ke7 39.Qxd5 Rd8 40.Rxb7+ Bxb7 41.Qxb7+ Kf8 42.Qb4+ Resigns
Reluctantly Wang accepts a second defeat to lose the match 2-4 to Smerdon – a worthy showing by both players.
Australasian Match of the Decade
Problem: White to play and mate in three.
Earlier this month Chess Enterprises New Zealand sponsored a high profile chess event at the Auckland Grammar School Old Boys' Pavillion. Billed as the Australasian Match of the Decade, two of New Zealand and Australia's rising stars squared off in a match of six games. The local hopes rested on 19 year old IM Puchen Wang who left Auckland Grammar last year to take up a chess scholarship at the University of Texas, Dallas, studying engineering. He faced formidable opposition in the on-form 25 year old freshly qualified Australian grandmaster, David Smerdon, who had just won the Oceania Zonal to earn a place in next year's World Cup.
Though both players are known for their fluid attacking chess, each seemed to play to neutralise the other and a series of cautious closed games ensued. Smerdon prevailed with Black in the first game followed by a series of three draws. The fifth game saw an exciting Dragon Sicilian, with Smerdon's exchange sacrifice defusing Wang's attack, but the latter defended accurately to hold the draw. Today's game is the sixth and final game of the match. Wang playing Black had to win to tie the match.
1.e4 e6
2.d4 d5
3.Nd2 Nf6
4.e5 Nfd7
5.c3 c5
6.Bd3 Nc6
7.Ngf3 Be7
8.O-O a5
9.Re1 c4!?
In closing the centre in the French Defence, Black clearly forgoes all thoughts of castling kingside, as this would merely make his king a sitting duck. Instead the pawn chains dictate a slow build-up of forces by both sides on their respective wings of advantage. They must also stay constantly alert for a tactical shot that could re-open the centre and expose one or other's king, since neither will be able to find a wholly comfortable shelter.
10.Bc2 b5
11.Nf1 Nb6
12.h4 h6
13.h5 b4
14.N3h2 a4
15.Qg4 Bf8
16.a3 bxc3
17.bxc3 Na5
18.f4 ---
Despite seeming rather underdeveloped, Black is not presenting any target on the kingside, so White must use his own's king's pawn protection as battering rams to open lines. Meanwhile the Black knights infiltrate deeply into the White queenside.
18.--- Nb3
19.Ra2 Kd7
While it is no mystery that White will eventually advance f4-f5 and target the f7 square, this move doesn't seem to address that threat, improve Black's co-ordination, nor make his king safer. But White seems unable to take advantage.
20.Qf3 Ra7
21.g4 Be7
The bishop finally emerges once White released the pressure on g7. Now both sides manouvre their knights to face-off over White's weak queenside pawns.
22.Nd2 Na8
23.Nb1 Nc7
24.Be3 Nb5
25.f5 Qa5
26.Bf2 Bg5
27.Rd1 Nc1!?
A strange-looking move, in that the knight seems only able to retreat back to b3 from this square. Black has a perfectly reasonable position, but it is hard to suggest a promising plan of action. Perhaps prompted by his need to win this game, Wang's justification is tactical, not positional, and Smerdon thought for a long time before making his reply.
28.Rb2 Nxc3?
Unfortunately this temporary sacrifice turns out to be permanent. After 28 ...Nb3 little harm would have been done.
29.Nxc3 Nd3
Whether Black missed that 29...Qxc3? with the idea of 30 Qxc3 Ne2+ regaining the piece fails to 30 Bxa4+! winning the black queen when he played 28...Nxc3, we can only speculate. The complications following the text move all favour White, though require some accurate play.
30.Bxd3 Qxc3
31.Rc2 Qb3
32.fxe6+ Kxe6
That the pawn capture was with check allows White's pieces to get out of trouble - 32...fxe6 instead frees the g6 square for the bishop. White now exploits the exposed black king to activate all his forces.
33.Rc3! Qb5
34.Rb1 Qa5
35.Be1 Rb7
36.Rcc1 Bd2
37.Bxd2 Qxd2
38.Bf5+ Ke7
39.Qxd5 Rd8
40.Rxb7+ Bxb7
41.Qxb7+ Kf8
42.Qb4+ Resigns
Reluctantly Wang accepts a second defeat to lose the match 2-4 to Smerdon – a worthy showing by both players.
1-0
Solution: 1 Qa6+! Nxa6 2 Bxb7+ Kb8 (or Ka7) 3 Nc6#.